The Yamuna has surged past 207 metres—making it the third-highest level in six decades—forcing authorities to relocate over 10,000 residents from affected zones. Relief camps near areas such as Mayur Vihar Phase‑I have been partially submerged, while markets and homes in sectors including Yamuna Bazaar, Geeta Colony, Majnu Ka Tila, Civil Lines, Badarpur and Monastery Market now sit under floodwaters.
Water discharge from the Hathnikund Barrage has exacerbated the flood threat, prompting authorities to shut down the Old Railway Bridge and halt cremation activities at Nigambodh Ghat. The city’s transportation and commerce networks have been severely disrupted as traffic snarls grip flood-affected corridors.
Life within relief camps has deteriorated sharply. The displaced are grappling with insufficient sanitation, inadequate medical facilities, scarce food supplies and a heightened risk of water-borne diseases. Many have fled with minimal possessions and are now confined to cramped, unsanitary shelters.
Tragically, northern India has borne the brunt of relentless monsoon rains this season. At least 130 lives were lost across the region in August, with widespread damage to infrastructure and crops, especially in Punjab, where an estimated 150,000 hectares of farmland were destroyed and around 20,000 people displaced. Landslides in the mountainous districts of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have blocked roads and claimed additional lives.
Forecasts from the India Meteorological Department signal ongoing threats, with orange and yellow alerts issued across Delhi and the National Capital Region and further downpours expected in the coming days. Traffic departments have extended advisories to commuters, and relief agencies remain on high alert.
Residents describe scenes of desperation. One shopkeeper in Badarpur lamented that “our earnings are already gone. We still have to pay rent and resettle everything once the water reduces,” while another, Asif, stood with possessions balanced on his head as floodwaters swallowed homes he had built with years of effort.